Def Leppard back 'Surreal' Tom Cruise Rock Of Ages performance

Tom Cruise's performance in new movie Rock Of Ages has received the backing of 80's rock legends Def Leppard, with the band impressed by his vocal abilities.

Cruise plays the lead role of Stacee Jaxx in the film, adapted from the hugely succesful stage musical, and takes on a number of vocal duties throughout the movie, including a cover of Def Leppard's 'Pour Some Sugar On Me'

Speaking to The AP, Def Leppard bassist Rick Savage recalled visiting Cruise on set and seeing him in action.

"We were fortune enough to check his filming out of that particular performance because we were both in Florida at the same time," Savage said. "We just had to get there as he was shooting some of the scenes. That was special in itself, just getting to meet the man. His voice was good."
 
"It was pretty surreal, actually," added singer Joe Elliott. "We just walked into this little seedy club in Ft. Lauderdale, and there up on stage is Stacee Jaxx doing 'Sugar'. It's like, 'What is this?' It's nuts."

Speaking about how Cruise was seeking feedback from the band about his performance, Savage continued: "He said, 'What do you think?' I said, 'Can you sing?' He said, 'No, I started like four or five months ago, just a couple of hours a day'.
 
Adding: "He had other movies he was shooting, so it was like a part-time thing. I'm thinking, 'Wow. If he's got that good in four or five months, that's much better than half the people on some of these talent shows'."

Other rock classics Cruise sings as part of his role as Jaxx in the movie include 'Paradise City' by Guns N' Roses and Foreigner's 'I Want to Know What Love Is'.